Internal Combustion (IC) Engines (used in automobiles of all kinds and designs) require catalytic converters by law to clean up their emissions. Every catalytic converter has an optimum temperature beyond which it is able to effectively convert unburned hydrocarbons (UHCs), various oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the exhaust gas to relatively harmless components like water, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The present catalytic converters need time (called “light-off time”) to attain the desired temperature at which they become operational. During this time they are unable to treat exhaust gas, resulting in environmentally harmful emissions. Catalytic converters were optimized to exhaust gas temperatures associated with designs in the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, which were significantly higher than today's high efficiency, computer controlled engines. Thus, light-off times for such catalytic converters are higher and they run colder. Because catalytic converter efficiency is a function of temperature this means that today's catalytic converters run at lower efficiencies. This increased light-off time becomes an even more significant problem when the engine is run for relatively short duration, such as a short vehicle trip, such that the light-off time is a significant amount of the duration. Thus, there is a need to develop new catalysts for modern and future catalytic converters which will operate well at lower temperatures and conform to ever-more stringent pollution regulations.
One approach has been to use add-ons like pre-cats to reduce light-off time but this approach is expensive and not always reliable. What is needed are new and innovative methods, apparatus, and systems to improve the operation of catalytic converters.